How to Reset Windows 10 and Keep Your Files?

When You Might Want to Reset Windows PC?

Reset This PC is a built-in recovery feature in Windows 10 and Windows 11 that reinstalls the operating system. It restores Windows system files, settings, and services to a fresh state, helping resolve deep system issues without requiring a full manual reinstallation.You may want to reset your Windows PC in the following situations:

System performance is extremely slow

If Windows takes a long time to boot, freezes frequently, or becomes unresponsive due to system corruption or accumulated software issues, resetting can restore stability.

🍒Repeated crashes or blue screen errors (BSOD)

Persistent system crashes, driver conflicts, or critical errors that can’t be fixed with standard troubleshooting may require a reset.

🍒Windows fails to boot properly

When startup repair, safe mode, or system restore doesn’t work, resetting Windows can help recover a non-bootable system.

🍒Malware or virus damage

If malware has deeply affected system files and antivirus tools can’t fully clean the system, a reset provides a safer recovery option.

🍒Major system update problems

Failed or problematic Windows updates that cause instability or errors can often be resolved by resetting the OS.

🍒Preparing the PC for a fresh start

When you want to remove unnecessary software, reset settings, and start over—without losing personal files—"Reset This PC" is a convenient solution.

How to Reset Windows and Keep Your Files?

"Reset This PC" gives you the option to keep your personal files or remove everything.

When you choose "Keep My Files", Windows removes installed apps and resets system settings but preserves user data such as documents, pictures, and desktop files.This option is ideal for fixing serious system issues without performing a full factory reset. Now, we will walk you through the steps of resetting Windows and keeping your files.

Part 1. Windows Can Boot Successfully

When you can boot up your computer as normal, the steps will be quite easy.

Step 1. Press "Win + I" to open Settings, or click "Start > Settings".

Step 2. Navigate to "Update & Security > Recovery".

Step 3. Under the Reset this PC section, click "Get started".

Step 4. When prompted, select "Keep my files".

Step 5. Choose How to Reinstall Windows

👉Cloud download: Downloads a fresh copy of Windows from Microsoft (recommended if system files are corrupted).

👉Local reinstall: Uses existing system files already on your PC.

Step 6. In the Additional settingswindow, you can click "Change settings" to review reset options:

👉Clean data? Keep this Off for a faster reset.

👉Delete files from all drives? Leave Off to avoid affecting other drives.

👉Download Windows? Enable Cloud download to reinstall a fresh copy of Windows from Microsoft.

For most users choosing "Keep My Files", the default settings are recommended.

Step 7. Windows will show a summary of what will be removed, including installed apps and settings. Review the list carefully, then click "Reset" to continue.

Step 8. Your PC will restart several times during the reset process. Once finished, Windows will boot into a fresh system while keeping your personal files.

Part 2. Windows Cannot Boot Successfully

If Windows cannot start normally, is stuck on a black screen, or enters a boot loop, you can still reset your PC and keep your files using the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).

Step 1. Enter Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

Use one of the following methods to access WinRE:

👉Automatic method: Turn on your PC and interrupt the boot process (force shutdown) 2–3 times. Windows will automatically load "Preparing Automatic Repair".

👉From boot failure screen: When Windows fails to load, select "Advanced options".

👉Using a bootable USB: Boot from a Windows installation USB, then choose "Repair your computer".

Step 2. Navigate to Reset This PC

In WinRE, follow this path: "Troubleshoot > Reset this PC".

Then, select "Keep my files"to reinstall Windows while preserving personal data such as documents, pictures, and desktop files. The remaining steps are the same as those in Part 1.

What If "Reset This PC" Fails?

In some cases, Reset This PC may not complete successfully. Common reasons include severe system corruption, disk errors, or hardware issues.

Common Reset Failure Scenarios

❌Reset process gets stuck or freezes

The reset process may stop at a certain percentage (such as 1%, 23%, or 99%) and appear unresponsive for a long time. In some cases, the reset may resume after waiting, but if it remains stuck for several hours, it usually indicates a deeper system problem.

❌"There was a problem resetting your PC" error

This error typically appears when Windows cannot access required recovery files or encounters severe system corruption. It often occurs after failed updates, improper shutdowns, or malware damage, and prevents the reset process from completing normally.

❌Windows still won’t boot after reset

In some cases, Windows may complete the reset but still fail to boot properly. This usually suggests underlying issues such as corrupted boot records, faulty drivers, or hard drive problems that a standard reset cannot fix.

❌Reset option is missing or unavailable

The Reset This PC option may be unavailable if the Windows Recovery Environment is damaged, required recovery partitions are missing, or system files are too corrupted to load recovery tools correctly.

What You Can Try First

✔️Run Startup Repair from WinRE

Startup Repair can automatically detect and fix common boot-related issues, such as missing or corrupted system files. Access it via:"WinRE > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair".

✔️Use Cloud download instead of Local reinstall

If Local reinstall fails, choosing Cloud download allows Windows to download a fresh copy of system files directly from Microsoft. This option is especially helpful when local recovery files are corrupted or incomplete.

✔️Check disk health using Command Prompt (chkdsk)

Hard drive errors can prevent a successful reset. From WinRE, open Command Prompt and run disk checks to detect and repair file system issues. This helps rule out disk-related problems before attempting another reset.

✔️Check System Files via SFC and DISM

If Windows cannot reset properly, corrupted system files may be the cause. You can repair these files using SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) from Command Prompt in WinRE.

✔️Disconnect external drives and peripherals

External hard drives, USB devices, printers, or other peripherals can interfere with the reset process. Disconnecting all non-essential devices reduces conflicts and improves the chances of a successful reset.

If these methods don’t work, your system may be too damaged to reset normally.

Important: Recover Your Data Before It’s Too Late

When Windows cannot boot or reset fails repeatedly, protecting your data should be the top priority. At this point, professional data recovery software can help retrieve files from an unbootable or crashed system. MyRecover is designed for exactly these situations. It can recover files even whenwindows won’t start.

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Summary

This article explains how to reset Windows 10 and keep your files step by step no matter whether your computer can boot up or not. If the resetting process does not go smoothly as expected, we will offer some effective solutions for reference.

When you have to reinstall or replace the drive, using a reliable recovery tool like MyRecover can help restore files from crashed system and give you peace of mind.